| Falls are consistently the leading cause of accidents resulting in injuries. Many thousands of people are injured annually - some very seriously - when they slip or trip up and fall on a rough patch of ground, a wet floor or a flight of stairs.
Since property owners are responsible for sustaining safe premises and warning visitors of possible hazards, they can be held liable for injuries that occur because of unsafe conditions on their property. Slip-and-fall accidents can result in various injuries, ranging from the comparatively minor to the extremely severe.
A slip-and-fall accident can occur virtually anywhere, on private or public property, indoors or outdoors. A slip-and-fall injury can happen because of hazards such as: slippery tiling, unbalanced flooring, rippled carpet or foreign objects on the floor or walkway, bad weather conditions (for example, ice, snow, or rain), uneven sidewalks, holes, badly lit or unmarked stairs or pathways
Typical injuries resulting from slip-and-fall accidents range in severity. A victim may suffer broken bones, scrapes and bruises that need minimal medical treatment and heal comparatively quickly. Other victims may suffer a catastrophic personal injury – a backbone injury, a brain injury, or a burn injury – that results in lifelong damage and needs long-lasting medical care. In the worst case scenario, an injured person dies due to his or her injuries. If this occurs, and the accident occurred due to the property owner's negligence, then the death is believed to be a wrongful death.
The sooner you file a suit after the injury, the better. Most slip-and-fall injury lawsuits are lodged within thirty days of the injury. The reasoning behind this is that if you wait too long, it may look like you are trying to file a frivolous suit instead of a legitimate one. If there is a hint of frivolity in your case, you are likely to get it dismissed.
After a slip-and-fall accident you should first make an appointment with a medical practitioner to examine the extent of your injury. This will prove that you did really suffer an injury resulting from a slip-and-fall accident, and can be valuable in your case. You must keep thorough records of the medical aid you received, as well as records of any work you missed and the amount of money it cost you. Any additional costs, including medical drugs, transportation, physical therapy, and the like should also be carefully recorded. There expenses can be reimbursed, if you win the lawsuit. |
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